The blue whale is the largest creature on earth. They can be as long as 33 meters and weight up to 180 metric tonnes. The blue whales habitat in all parts of the Earth's ocean and feed mainly on small crustaceans such as krill or plankton.The blue whales can swim up to 20-50 kilometers per hour , however they usually travel at 5 kilometers per hour during feeding. The blue whale species has recently been recognized as the endangered species as the whale population has rapidly dropped since the 20th century due to whaling . However even though whaling has been banned in the 1960's , the numbers still continue to reduce due to factors such as fast moving ocean vessels , commercial fishing and global warming .
Labelled diagram of blue whale
Habitat
Blue whales are mostly distributed in colder waters. They are rarely seen in the coastal areas but prefer deeper waters depending on the population of krill. The whales can be found in all the main oceans around the areas except the polar waters.
The oregen ocean that is often popluated with blue whales due to krill
The blue whales migrate from cold to tropical waters depending on the season to either breed their young or feed. The blue whales mainly live in Arctic Sea like the little penguin and the polar bear, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. During the seasons the whales migrate between warmer tropical waters to mate and breed to the colder waters to feed.
The blue whales live in mostly the upper layer of the ocean because of their need for oxygen. The surface layer of the sea is underneath Epipelagic layer( surface layer of the sea), about 100 to 200 meters from sea level. The surface layer can be penetrated by the sunlight creating a light and warm environment.This factor allows the blue whale to have a special adaptation called counter shading which allows camouflage similar to the platypus. Counter shading is when the whales skin on the top is darker then the bottom creating the same color as water. The surface layer is also rich in veg
Bright yellow indicates the habitat of blue whales
etation and minerals , because it allows enough light for photosynthesis thus creating a home for over 50% of marine life. Krill and other organism also flourish in the upper layer of the ocean making a suitable feeding area for the blue whales.
However, because of whaling, the number of blue whales has significantly decreased. Whales are seen more often near the Jan Mayen Island, Iceland and the west coast of USA . Blue whales around Antarctic have also lessened and in some areas like Japan , they have gone completely extinct.
Structural Adaptations
Baleen plates
One of the main structural adaptations of the blue whales is their mouth. The main ada
Baleen of a blue whale
ptations of their mouth are the baleen plates, which allow the whales to feed on krill. The blue whales feed through a method called gulping by sketching open its jaw and sucking in vast qualities of water through there jaws. The water passes through the baleen plates and the krill gets trapped. It then gets expelled by the tongue , leaving the krill in the whales mouth. The baleen plates help the whale to feed by filtering the water through the baleen plates separating krill from water. Baleen plates are located in the upper jaw, approximately a quarter of an inch apart. They are thick bristles made out of keratin, which trap the krill.
Baleen plates are produced as a result of the ecological changes in the ocean producing rich feeding waters in both poles. Baleen plates also evolved because of the change in the form of prey and the need to feed more efficiently on small creatures.
Thermoregulation
Blubber
The blue whales were often hunted in the twenteth centuary because of their blubber
Because heat is lost quickly in water, blue whales have a thick layer of blubber to protect them from the cold and also to dispose of excess heat through veins . The blubber can help maintain a body temperature to 36 Celsius to 37 Celsius. Not only that , the blubber is also a store of excess energy which the whales live off during migration.The blubber of the blue whales gives them a streamlined shape and also reduces limb size to reduce exposure to cold waters.
The blubber is located under the skin made of tissue and fat cells. It makes up to 27% of the blue whale’s weight and also streamlines the body while storing up energy. The blubber was formed because of the climate change happening around 15 million years ago , which lead to an increase on polar ice. Thus, creating colder waters .It is also the production of maintaining a healthy body temperature in different oceans with varying temperature.
Behavioural adaptations
Diving
The pattern of diving in blue whales depends on the location of their prey. The whales depend on survival through locating concentrated swarms of krill to feed on. Since dense swarms of krill are located near the water surface, the blue whales only travel near the upper layers of the sea (approximately 100 meters below sea level) . This helps to reduce energy and time used for each dive. The blue whales feed by dropping open their lower jaw and lunging after their prey.This is called gulping , the blue whales feed by sucking up vast qualities of water along with krill and then pushing out the water with their tongue . The krill is then trapped in to the baleen and is consumed by the whale . This allows them to intake a large volume of water and prey in a short time . The enviromental pressure which causes the blue whale to dive is the marine environment and the need to adapt to it in order to survive.The blue whales need to dive in order to feed on the krill and also mate and also breed underwater. Diving is an necessary survial skill for all marnie animals.
A blue whale
The migration pattern of blue whales
Migration
How whales navigate is still unknown, however whales may be able to follow the magnetic field on Earth. The migrations of the blue whales are often predictable but the reasons for it have not been clear. Scientist speculate that the environmental pressures that triggers migration is often because their calves do not have enough blubber to keep them warm in arctic waters. During the winter blue whales travel to warmer oceans in low latitude and tropical waters to breed and reproduce. The whales must then stay for eight mouths to build up energy in blubber and body fat .In summer the blue whales swim back to high latitude, polar waters for feeding in the krill rich seas. During the migration the whales do not feed but live on their body fat.
Physiological adaptation
Myoglobin
Blue whales can transport and store more oxygen very efficiently in their bodies. They have a richer protein – myoglobin in their muscles to store oxygen. A high concentration of myoglobin is needed in the blue whale because of their dives underwater and the need to remain underwater for a longer period of time. When the whale intakes new oxygen, the myoglobin is renewed like humans but can be transported much faster to the muscles. Myoglobin is the result of having to dive underwater to feed and the need to adapt to remaining underwater for a longer period of time to survive. The higher levels of myogolbin apparent in the muscles of whales also because of the need for faster transportation of oxygen into muscles enabling them to move more effectively.
Future animal Filter whale
Blue Whale ( Balaenopetra musculus )
General information
The blue whale is the largest creature on earth. They can be as long as 33 meters and weight up to 180 metric tonnes. The blue whales habitat in all parts of the Earth's ocean and feed mainly on small crustaceans such as krill or plankton.The blue whales can swim up to 20-50 kilometers per hour , however they usually travel at 5 kilometers per hour during feeding. The blue whale species has recently been recognized as the endangered species as the whale population has rapidly dropped since the 20th century due to whaling . However even though whaling has been banned in the 1960's , the numbers still continue to reduce due to factors such as fast moving ocean vessels , commercial fishing and global warming .
Habitat
Blue whales are mostly distributed in colder waters. They are rarely seen in the coastal areas but prefer deeper waters depending on the population of krill. The whales can be found in all the main oceans around the areas except the polar waters.
The blue whales migrate from cold to tropical waters depending on the season to either breed their young or feed. The blue whales mainly live in Arctic Sea like the little penguin and the polar bear, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. During the seasons the whales migrate between warmer tropical waters to mate and breed to the colder waters to feed.
The blue whales live in mostly the upper layer of the ocean because of their need for oxygen. The surface layer of the sea is underneath Epipelagic layer( surface layer of the sea), about 100 to 200 meters from sea level. The surface layer can be penetrated by the sunlight creating a light and warm environment.This factor allows the blue whale to have a special adaptation called counter shading which allows camouflage similar to the platypus. Counter shading is when the whales skin on the top is darker then the bottom creating the same color as water. The surface layer is also rich in veg
However, because of whaling, the number of blue whales has significantly decreased. Whales are seen more often near the Jan Mayen Island, Iceland and the west coast of USA . Blue whales around Antarctic have also lessened and in some areas like Japan , they have gone completely extinct.
Structural Adaptations
Baleen plates
One of the main structural adaptations of the blue whales is their mouth. The main ada
Baleen plates are produced as a result of the ecological changes in the ocean producing rich feeding waters in both poles. Baleen plates also evolved because of the change in the form of prey and the need to feed more efficiently on small creatures.
Thermoregulation
Blubber
The blubber is located under the skin made of tissue and fat cells. It makes up to 27% of the blue whale’s weight and also streamlines the body while storing up energy. The blubber was formed because of the climate change happening around 15 million years ago , which lead to an increase on polar ice. Thus, creating colder waters .It is also the production of maintaining a healthy body temperature in different oceans with varying temperature.
Behavioural adaptations
Diving
The pattern of diving in blue whales depends on the location of their prey. The whales depend on survival through locating concentrated swarms of krill to feed on. Since dense swarms of krill are located near the water surface, the blue whales only travel near the upper layers of the sea (approximately 100 meters below sea level) . This helps to reduce energy and time used for each dive. The blue whales feed by dropping open their lower jaw and lunging after their prey.This is called gulping , the blue whales feed by sucking up vast qualities of water along with krill and then pushing out the water with their tongue . The krill is then trapped in to the baleen and is consumed by the whale . This allows them to intake a large volume of water and prey in a short time . The enviromental pressure which causes the blue whale to dive is the marine environment and the need to adapt to it in order to survive.The blue whales need to dive in order to feed on the krill and also mate and also breed underwater. Diving is an necessary survial skill for all marnie animals.
Migration
How whales navigate is still unknown, however whales may be able to follow the magnetic field on Earth. The migrations of the blue whales are often predictable but the reasons for it have not been clear. Scientist speculate that the environmental pressures that triggers migration is often because their calves do not have enough blubber to keep them warm in arctic waters. During the winter blue whales travel to warmer oceans in low latitude and tropical waters to breed and reproduce. The whales must then stay for eight mouths to build up energy in blubber and body fat .In summer the blue whales swim back to high latitude, polar waters for feeding in the krill rich seas. During the migration the whales do not feed but live on their body fat.Physiological adaptation
Myoglobin
Blue whales can transport and store more oxygen very efficiently in their bodies. They have a richer protein – myoglobin in their muscles to store oxygen. A high concentration of myoglobin is needed in the blue whale because of their dives underwater and the need to remain underwater for a longer period of time. When the whale intakes new oxygen, the myoglobin is renewed like humans but can be transported much faster to the muscles. Myoglobin is the result of having to dive underwater to feed and the need to adapt to remaining underwater for a longer period of time to survive. The higher levels of myogolbin apparent in the muscles of whales also because of the need for faster transportation of oxygen into muscles enabling them to move more effectively.
Bibliography
Coolantartica , whales, (July 27th , 2010) , retrived 17/07/2010 , from
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/whales.htm
Jean-micheal Cousteau Ocean adventures , Whale adaptations , (n.d) , retrieved 14/07/2010 , from http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/pdf/OceanAdv-WhaleAdapt.pdf
MarineBio Conervation Society, Balaenoptera musculus , Blue whale , (July 30th , 2010) , retrieved 21/07/2010 , from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=41
WhaleRoute.com , whale migration , (n.d) , retrieved 14/07/2010 from http://www.whaleroute.com/migrate/